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Medals and badges of the "1,000 Year Reich" |
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<< Breast
badge of the German Kondor Legion (panzer troops) the Panzertruppenabzeichen
der Legion Kondor that fought in the Spanish Civil War,
supposedly non military volunteers but actually men from the German
military gaining experience and testing new weapons and tactics.
Another version in gold had the eyes closed. |
Sub category index
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| These pages also include medals and badges awarded to non-German troops who served the 3rd Reich and to German civilians who served in a para-military group or organisation or in a support capacity of some sort. | ||
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Can you identify this medal?
If you can please Email |
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Danzig Cross Danziger Kreuz
Instituted 31 Aug 1939. Awarded for merit in building up the NSDAP in the city of Danzig.
Number awarded 88 (1st Class <<<) & 253 (2nd Class >>>)
One of the few Nazi awards that did not have a swastika |
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Spanish Cross (Spanienkreuz) or Kondor
Legion Cross was instituted on
April 14th, 1939, to recognize those German Forces who served in the
Spanish Civil War (July 1936- March 1939). The “Kondor
Legion” who fought on the side
of General Franco against communism in Spain was composed, at least
publicly, of volunteers. Because of their semi-official status no awards
were instituted prior to or during the war, and therefore there was no
method to recognize German bravery and accomplishment until 1939.
The purpose of the Spanish Cross therefore was two fold; It was not only
to be a campaign medal, but also an award recognizing achievements.
The Spanish Cross was awarded in four classes, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Gold with Diamonds. The bronzed and silver classes came in two categories, with swords (combatant) and without swords (non-combatant), while the Gold and Gold with Diamonds classes were awarded only with swords. |
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Kondor
Legion Honor Cross for Next of Kin This
award was established the same day as the Spanish Cross to commemorate
those legionaries who fell during the Spanish conflict. The award was a
smaller version of the Spanish Cross with swords and it was produced
from bronze or brass with a bronze wash. As with the Spanish Cross, the
reverse was plain. It was held by a black ribbon with the colours of the
Spanish flag (red-yellow-red) on its edges.
The award was presented to the next of kin in cases of soldiers killed or missing in action or if death occurred due to war related sickness. |
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| VICTORY in SPAIN MEDAL - One side of this medal has three men marching, the two outside men are soldiers with rifles on their shoulders and they are wearing German combat helmets. The center man appears to be a civilian. Below them it says "1 Abril 1939". The other side has an angel holding a cross in one hand and a sword in the other, below her it says "18 Julio 1936, Alzamiento". | |
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Special Wound Badge awarded to persons wounded in the attempt on Hitler's life, 20 July 1944. |
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1936 Hitler Youth award |
War Merit Cross with swords and Entry into Sudetenland medal. |
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| Medal for the meeting in 1936 of the old leadership corps of the NSDAP in Hessen-Nassau. It commemorates DAS ALTE FÜHRERKORPS DER NSDAP.” The meeting took place along the Rhein River. (See Gau badges) |
| It depicts a Teutonic warrior of old bearing a sword and a shield with the Sonnerad (runic sun symbol). There is an “HW” signature. The ribbon is with the Hessen-Nassau colors of red and white. | ||
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| One of the most recognizable badges of the Third Reich is the German Eagle clutching the swastika in a wreath. This is one on many variations of what is loosely called the National Emblem. | ||
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(Nazi)
German Cross in Gold
Also known as the War Order of the German Cross, or the DK (Deutches Kreuz), this award, designed by Professor Klein of Munich, was intended to reward combat gallantry, ranking in precedence between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. It was not, however, a part of the Iron Cross series of awards, being used in tandem with these, and worn on the right breast. |
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| Some 30,000 were awarded to members of the German armed forces between September 1941 and the end of the war. | ||
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| There was a "de-nazified" 1957 version the German Cross in Gold that had the Iron Cross in the centre instead of the swastika | German Cross in Gold. This is a woven and embroidered version. | German Cross in silver. The Silver Cross was awarded for leadership not directly involving combat operations. |
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From July 1942 accounts of heroic acts were recorded on the "Roll of Honour of the German Army" (equivalent to the British "Mentioned in Dispatches"). From 30 January 1944 soldiers receiving this honour were awarded a gilded metal Honour Roll Clasp. The clasps differed for the various branches: the army had a "static" swastika within a oak wreath, worn on the Iron Cross 2nd Class button-hole ribbon; the clasp was not worn if the ribbon was not worn. More details on History of the Iron Cross |
| The Iron Cross continued as the most commonly awarded German decoration but of course the 1914 was dropped and a swastika was added. There were only two common classes of Iron Cross; both were considered "chest medals", to be worn on the chest. The two awards were virtually identical in appearance, the only difference being in how they were worn. The Iron Cross 1st Class was awarded for three to five acts of bravery, and was worn pinned to the left breast of the uniform, low down. The Iron Cross 2nd Class was awarded for a single act of bravery. Generally only the ribbon of the award was worn, in a downwards diagonal strip, sewn between the second tunic buttonhole and the edge of the front closure of the tunic. See History of the Iron Cross |
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<< Different ways the Iron Cross was to be worn depending on the class |
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This special badge was awarded to people who had won the Iron Cross in 1914/18 and won another in 1939/45. It was worn as a clasp on the ribbon. |
German
medal ribbons| Knight's Cross
or Ritterkreuz. (It
was officially called the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, or Ritterkreutz
des Eisernen Kreuzes, showing it's lineage from the Iron Cross).
It was larger than the older Iron Cross but also of the Maltese Cross shape on a ribbon with black edges, white inner stripes and a red centre. |
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Criteria for the award varied between the services, the
Luftwaffe had a points system, the Kriegsmarine worked on a tonnage basis,
and for soldiers, on individual acts of bravery. It was a "neck
order"; that is, it was to be worn around the neck at all times, it's
ribbon passing under the collar. Recipients did not receive a full length
of ribbon with the award, so other means of wearing the award around the
neck had to be found.
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War Merit Cross (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) (also called the War Service Cross)
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Silver War Merit Cross , First Class, with and without swords. |
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Ted, I have also encountered enameling on a Spanish Cross with
swords. The enameling was on the arms just like your example but
red in color. The cross was also a private purchase item.
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The skull and crossed bones hat badge of the SS became one of the most feared symbols of an evil regime. It was a badge, not a medal |
Close Combat Clasp. Available in gold, silver and bronze. Hitler, Himmler and just a few other VERY senior Nazis were able to present a gold CCC. |
| On 25 November 1942, the Close Combat Clasp was instituted for achievement in hand to hand fighting in close quarters. The award was given in three classes: For 15 days of combat a Bronze Class was awarded. For 30 days of combat a Silver Class. For 50 days of combat a Gold Class. If the soldier was wounded in battle, the criteria was reduced to 10, 20 and 40 days. | ||
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was also given as a posthumous award and presented to the next-of-kin
with a certificate. In addition the award was also retroactively credited
for those soldiers who participated since the initial invasion of the
Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. For 8 months service, 5 close combat days
were credited. For 12 months service, 10 close combat days were
credited. For 15 months service, 15 close combat days were credited. The Close Combat Clasp was worn above the upper left uniform pocket. The award was authorized to be presented by regimental commander or equivalent. Combat days were entered in the soldier’s record and certified. A certificate was awarded in conjunction with the CCC.
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Details by Kevin Punch
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German
Russian Front Medal. Awarded to
Lothar Scholz who served in the 125 Infantry Division, Wehrmacht (German
Army), when he enlisted in April 1942, and after 1942 was a member of
various Kampfgruppen. He was sent to fight in Russia and was wounded
three times.
The third time, he was flown from Russia to a hospital in Germany, where he was awarded the Iron Cross (2nd Class). After attending officer's training, he was sent back to Russia, but his platoon was outnumbered by Russian soldiers and dispersed. He destroyed all his identification
and most of his uniform. Taken prisoner of war (POW) by Russian
soldiers, he was was transported to a POW Camp near Konigsberg in
Germany, and later taken to a camp in Siberia. In September 1945 he was
sent home due to ill health. He was discharged from the Wehrmacht in
December 1945 by British troops who occupied the zone in which he and
his family lived. |
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Class not known
2nd Class
5th Class with swords
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Bronze Medal of Merit with swords |
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| Silver & Bronze Medal of Merit |
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Possibly 3rd Class?? |
| Henry Ford
was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday, 30
July 1938. General Olof Thörnell, commander-in-chief of the Swedish armed forces, was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle 7 Oct 1940. Charles Lindbergh was awarded the Order of the German Eagle with Star 19 Oct 1938. James D Mooney, General Motor's chief executive for overseas operations, was awarded Order of the German Eagle 1st Class (JDM, as a member of the armed forces reserves was required to submit any medals he received from foreign governments to the U.S. Government). |
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The
German
Order
was the highest decoration that the Nazi Party could bestow on
an individual for "duties of the highest order to the state and
party".
This award was first made by Adolf Hitler posthumously to Reichsminister Fritz Todt at his funeral in February, 1942. A second posthumous award of the German Order was made to SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich at his funeral in June of that same year. Cynics called the award the "dead hero order" as it was almost always awarded posthumously. |
| The only two persons who received the German Order who
survived the war and its consequences were Konstantin Hierl and Arthur
Axmann.
The German Order was originally to be awarded in three grades, but only the neck order (the highest grade) was ever awarded. This award ranks the second rarest award in the Third Reich (second only to the National Prize for Art and Science). The holders of this award were supposed to form a confraternity. Adolf Hitler viewed this award as his personal decoration to be bestowed only upon those whose services to the state and party he deemed worthy. For this reason, plus the fact that the reverse of the medal bears a facsimile of his signature, it was also informally known as the 'Hitler Order'. There were in all ten confirmed recipients of this award between 1942 and 1945. According to some documents, the order was intended to be awarded to Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler and Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, but this was never done. |
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In May 1938, German
Mountain troops were authorized to wear a metal Edelweiss, the flower
commonly found growing in the mountains and the traditional emblem of
mountain climbers, on the Berg- and shirmutze (Mountain Trooper's hats). This is not the average grey zinc one that is usually encountered, but a nice early manufactured alloy example with original dark green cloth backing. |
| Only members of Austrian-originated units as well as members of the Non-Austrian 1st Mountain Division wore the metal Edelweiss on a green cloth backing. | |
